BC Turkey Shortage

The B-C Poultry Association says the avian flu is causing a turkey shortage in the province ahead of the high-demand Christmas season. Spokeswoman Amanda Brittain says the association is anticipating a 20 per cent drop in available turkeys compared to previous years. But, she says there are fortunately no shortages of eggs or chicken yet in B-C. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s latest available data shows more than 866-thousand birds have been impacted by the H-5-N-1 strain of avian flu this year in British Columbia. It says there are currently 43 infected premises in the province as of Wednesday, while 21 others have recovered. Importing turkey for the holiday season could also pose a challenge as the C-F-I-A has set restrictions on imports of live birds, bird products and by-products from U-S states affected by the flu. The U-S Centre for Disease Control said in a news release Saturday that more than 49 million birds in 46 states have either died as a result of bird flu virus infection or have been culled due to exposure to infected birds since early 2022.